It’s Official: Shanahan Is The Man In D.C.

The Washington Redskins and Mike Shanahan agreed to terms this evening, a five-year deal worth a reported $7 million a year for the former Denver Broncos and two-time Super Bowl winning coach. Shanahan was hired as the head coach and Executive VP of Football Operations, the latter title being currently occupied by the newly hired Bruce Allen. Shanahan and Allen will work together to help build the organization but Shanahan will ultimately have the final say in all football matters (hoping this isnt a duplicate of what we had before: a “yes” man for owneer Dan Snyder).

It has also be reported that Mike Shanahan’s son, Kyle Shanahan, will become the new offensive coordinator in Washington. Kyle Shanahan was the former offensive coordinator for the Houston Texans.

Let the games begin!

Commonly Known ‘Black Monday’ Brings End To Zorn’s Regime In Washington

The Monday following the final Sunday of games in the NFL’s regular season is commonly known as “Black Monday”, mainly because it involves a large dish-out of executive firings, coaching dismissals, and team overhauls. And that was just the case in Washington, D.C. this morning.

The Washington Redskins arrived home this morning around 2:15 am after dropping a close game to the playoff-bound San Diego Chargers in California. Just hours after the team landed, head coach Jim Zorn, executive VP Bill Allen, and owner Daniel Snyder had a meeting at around 4:15 am. And by 4:45 am, sources say FORMER head coach Jim Zorn was being escorted from Redskins park by security officials.

And just like that, the Zorn regime in the nation’s capital has ended, going 12-20 in two seasons. Sources are also reporting that absolutely no one from the current coaching staff at any position will remain with the team for next season and the heavy speculation is that former Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan has already signed the papers to become the next head coach in Washington. His rumored right hand men are Mike Zimmer, the current defensive coordinator in Cincy, and Kyle Shanahan, Mike’s son and current offensive coordinator of the Houston Texans.

This is where things get interesting…

Rumor Mill: Shanahan Signing the Papers in DC?

Rumors are surfacing that Mike Shanahan is the next coach in line for the Washington Redskins. Although ex-Bucs coach Jon Gruden would seem like the sure-fire candidate for the Skins’ job, it seems as though his MNF contract has him staying put, leaving Shanahan as the “next best available”.

Mike Shanahan is a proven winner in the league but him taking orders from an executive doesn’t seem like a job he’d like to have. Shanahan has always been his own general manager and he has said he wants a coaching job with general manager duties included.

Only rumors at this point. Stay tuned.

Cerrato Out In Washington, Bruce Allen Named New V.P.

And the holidays just got a little better for Redskins fans as Vinny Cerrato resigned today from the Washington Redskins organization.

Recent reports have surfaced claiming the Redskins are introducing Bruce Allen as the new general manager of the team. Allen served as Senior Executive from 1996 – 2003 for the Oakland Raiders and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and happens to be the son of the legendary Skins’ coach George Allen. Which can only lead one to believe who the new head coach of the Redskins might be….Jon Gruden, the head coach under Bruce Allen in Oakland and Tampa Bay. Although Gruden just signed a hefty contract with the Monday Night Football crew, I’m sure Dan Snyder’s money is a just a bit heftier.

Although many Redskins fans would have liked to have seen Mike Holmgren settle in the Nation’s Capital, all we really wanted for Christmas was for Vinny to see the door. Aren’t the holidays just grand when your dreams come true?

Hail to the Redskins.

Redskins’ Skid Continues, Zorn’s Seat Gets Warmer

Players are outraged, coming to blows in the locker room. Coaches are on the hot seat, as close to being terminated as you can get. And the fans are fed up, wearing paper bags to cover their faces at games. The only solution for a team in this kind of state is to win. So what do the Redskins do? They lose to the winless Kansas City Chiefs while scoring just six points. And in fact, the team is doing even worse than the embarassing loss indicates…

The Washington Redskins played like normal in the first half, like a flat soda sitting uncapped for days. The offense had no “go” and the defense looked, at the very least, decent. Rather than giving the kicker a shot for a 53-yard field goal before the half, Zorn elects for Campbell to give it a heave to the endzone. The ball is intercepted and the half ends, Redskins lead 3-0. When the teams take the field to begin the second half, 105-year-old backup quarterback Todd Collins is suddenly the starter as Campbell sits on the sidelines with a beanie and coat on. What gives?

Perhaps it was the blocking by the offensive line, or lack thereof, that caused Campbell to be benched? We all know that Collins is much more mobile when the pocket begins to collapse, which it so often does. Or maybe Campbell was benched because of the lack of depth on the offensive line as a result of piss poor drafting by the front office? Because we all know that the quarterback makes the selections in April and he always want non-catching receivers. Or maybe Campbell warmed the bench in the second half because he had just 89 yards in the first half? Then again, he does call all of the offensive plays from the no-huddle. Whatever the reason may be, Jim Zorn and the coaching staff has made it that much harder on themselves. Not only did Todd Collins produce the same amount of points as Campbell in the same amount of time but with more urgency, but Campbell has to feel like the lowest man on the team right now. How does Jason Campbell tie his cleats next Sunday with confidence? Or does Campbell even start next week? See what I mean? Creating a quarterback controversy at this juncture makes no sense and it takes away from the little amount of identity that your team once had.

Peter King has reported that a meeting was held between Jim Zorn, Dan Snyder, and Vinny Cerratto following the miserable home loss on Sunday. The result? Cerratto relieved Zorn of all play-calling duties. It actually makes sense, finally Cerratto does something intelligent. But why did it take this long? After you performed a rush-hire to make Zorn the head coach and offensive coordinator after a botched head coach hiring job; now you make the change?

Please remember that the current situation in the nation’s capital is NOT Jason Campbell’s fault, nor is it Jim Zorn’s fault. Whether you like Campbell or not, he can’t make his line stay healthy and at least block a little bit. And whether or not you like Zorn, he is working with what he was given because he has absolutely no say in what takes the field on Sundays. Jim Zorn was a lonely quarterback coach in Seattle and was making the modest and humbling jump to become an offensive coordinator. That same lonely quarterback coach was in no way prepared for the OC duties as well as the head coaching duties for one of the league’s most poopular teams. Zorn has a lot of sh*t on his plate and he’s taking the heat for it. Fair? Hardly. But until the Snyder/Cerratto regime gets the hell out of D.C., that same plate will remain full no matter who sits down to it.

Welcome aboard the “FIRE DAN SNYDER” bandwagon.

Lions Snap Embarrassing Streak, Redskins Continue Their Own…

With today’s horrendous loss to one of the NFL’s worst franchises in history, the Washington Redskins have given us all the ammunition we need to tear them apart. From the front office down to the sidelines, the Washington Redskins are in a really bad spot right now. A spot so bad that people have a real point when they claim, “…the Redskins suck…”

With that said, what better way to talk about the Detroit Lions snapping their 19-game losing streak then to break down why the Redskins SUCK:

Let’s start with the front office, shall we… It’s obvious that I’m not a huge supporter of owner Dan Snyder or ANY of his moves. He tries to run the franchise like a fantasy team, buying up all the big name guys with honest thoughts of getting a reasonable return on investment. Snyder also likes to be apart of ALL football decisions, but the problem persists that he knows absolutely NOTHING about football. Until this guy sells the team, a positive outlook for the Redskins is not in the forecast.

Staying upstairs in the suite…. How about the Redskins’ stellar general manager? Oh wait, they have no general manager. God forbid Dan Snyder and the Redskins take a page out of some successful teams’ books, such as the Ravens and Giants, and hire a guy that really knows how to BUILD a team. Anyone can go out and say, “Oh, he’s good. Let’s pay him”. It takes a good GM to go out and build a team with strengths and depth. Vice President of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato DOES NOT fit the bill. After his first season in 1999, in which he signed half-past dead stars like Bruce Smith, Deion Sanders, and Mark Carrier, Cerrato has only gotten worse. Finally, when the Redskins got a real coach in Marty Schottenheimer, Cerrato was fired because Schottenheimer knew he sucked (a glaring sign in my opinion). But once Marty was fired (mistake), Snyder re-hired Cerrato, which leads people to believe that Vinny has naked pictures of Snyder’s wife that he doesn’t want getting out.

Heading down to the sidelines…. Second-year head coach Jim Zorn has shown very little promise for the team thus far. He was originally hired for, what many believed, the offensive coordinator job after the departure of another failure, Al Saunders. But after Snyder and Cerrato scrambled to find a head coach and came up empty handed, they named Zorn the head coach and had no problem allowing him to call the plays. So, not only did Zorn come in with ZERO coordinator experience, he was given play-calling and head coaching duties. Sounds about right…

Staying down here…. The Redskins defense has ranked pretty well over the years in terms of yards allowed, great. But what happened to tight coverage, pass-rushing, and takeaways? The Redskins defense has NONE of that. Their secondary is poor to begin with, but the lack of pressure that the defensive line gets on the quarterback doesn’t help the least bit. It’s a respectable ability to say that you’re good against the run, but ranking dead last in the league in takeaways really brings down your intimidation factor. Without any really understanding of the 50-yard cushion that Washington defensive backs give receivers, it could explain why none of them can intercept opposing quarterbacks.

Scanning the locker room…. There are a lot of big-name players around here. Portis, Haynesworth, Moss, Fletcher, Landry, Cooley, etc. But what’s to show for it? The Redskins have very little depth at each position and once a star goes down, you can forget about a decent back-up. This refers back to the GM and the drafting of the franchise, but it essentially comes down to how Snyder likes to buy talent rather than draft and build. Looking at Super Bowl teams and conference champs, this isn’t the way things are done. The Ravens have had a great defense for years, even with retiring players and multiple defensive coordinators. Why? Because they draft for need and build effectively, like a successful team should. The Redskins would rather create trade talks about Jay Cutler a whiney unproven gun slinger come draft time rather than focusing on the #1 draft choice or trading for additional picks.

This can only go on for so long, I think. It’s not that fans would stop coming to games, that would simply never happen, but until the Washington Redskins start to run like a real team is suppose to, they will never succeed. How long will it take until Snyder realizes that the team only needs his money and NOT his horrible insight? Bring in a proven coach that can lead a team, bring in a general manager that knows what he’s doing, and then allow them to run the team. If you want to be successful Dan Snyder: sit back, shut up, and put up the dollars.

Michael Vick is Apparently Close To Signing With Team

According to Michael Vick, he is “close” to signing with a team. As Vick left a courtroom today, because that’s his second home as of late, a reporter asked about his future in the NFL. Vick responded simply, “We’re close”. What Vick forgot to mention was that the team he is “close” to signing with is located in Orlando and is part of the United Football League.

But in all seriousness; who are the potential suitors for Vick? Realistic suitors that is, and ones that exist in the NFL.

• San Francisco – Mike Singletary is the head coach and we all know he doesn’t play. The 49er’s aren’t as bad as they may appear (that’s a bias statement) and having Vick wouldn’t downgrade the team. The problem falls within the city itself – San Fran has a lot of PETA support. Expect protests every home game.
• Pittsburgh – They have won Super Bowls, they have role model players, they have the reputation, and they have earned the respect of being an intelligent ball club. Some teams may sign Vick and experts would bash them for being “stupid”. If Pittsburgh or New England signs Vick, it’s considered a wise move and they’ve suddenly taken a risky diamond in the rough.
• New England – As stated above, New England has the reputation for being an intelligent team. If Vick goes to New England, they’ll keep him straight. Plus, New England has a record of taking other team’s trash and turning them into treasure.
• Washington – I don’t even like to talk about this because I really don’t want it to happen. However, you can’t deny the fact that Dan Snyder is the owner and he runs the Redskins like he’s in ’Franchise Mode’ of the Madden 2009 football game.

The question isn’t whether Michael Vick will behave himself. He made some stupid decisions in his life but I don’t think he’s a stupid person. He’s not Pacman. He won’t go out and fund another dog-fighting ring. The main question when discussing Michael Vick is the risk of your organization’s reputation. As a team owner – are you willing to sit through the home game protests for Vick’s first season (because they have to stop eventually)? Your team may lose support from fans that also happen to support PETA, but die-hard fans are die-hard fans and they’ll stay that way with or without Michael Vick.

Closing argument – Michael Vick signs with San Francisco

Jay Cutler Saga Finally Ends In Chicago

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Jay Cutler is NOT a Washington Redskin. I honestly believe that this is one of the best moves the Redskins DID NOT make…and they rarely do anything right. Sure I love them, but they have to have one of the worst front offices in all of sports.

The rumored trade of Jason Campbell and two first-round picks for Jay Cutler fell through on Tuesday when the Chicago Bears upped the ante. The Bears sent a 2009 first-rounder and third-rounder, along with a 2010 first-round pick and Kyle Orton to the Denver Broncos in exchange for Jay Cutler and a fifth-round pick in this April’s draft.

When you have to give up as much as TWO first-round draft picks, I ask myself one question. Is the player we are getting in return the missing piece we need to make it to the Super Bowl? Not necessarily win the Super Bowl, but just get there. If the answer is ‘no’, then you do not give up your two first-round picks along with your half-decent starting quarterback. If the answer is ‘yes’, then you contemplate the idea for about 48 hours just to make sure and then you pull the trigger. But that’s just in my general manager mind.

The Redskins have a quarterback named Jason Campbell. He has the perfect size for an NFL quarterback. He had a decent run in college at Auburn, including one undefeated season. He has decent mobility to escape the pocket and he has a cannon for an arm. So why haven’t you heard of Jason Campbell? The Redskins enjoy changing coaching staffs and position coaches just for the mere fun of it, or so it seems. Therefore, Jason Campbell has played under a new offensive coordinator every year he has been in the pros…it’s ridiculous. But please do not get me wrong, I am not making excuses for Jason Campbell. There is no doubt that the guy has to step up and make plays, being a playmaker is how you get the money and recognition.

Dan Snyder and wannabe GM Vinny Cerrato agreed that it would be a fun idea to whip up some talks about trading away Campbell and bringing Cutler to D.C. So what does Cutler have to offer? Well, he’s 25-years-old with a cannon arm and decent mobility. He came from a horrible Vanderbilt football program that lost a lot more games than they won. He battles Type I diabetes. His name has been in the news a lot lately because of an apparent bad attitude and a love for the Denver nightlife. And so I ask my question: If Jay Cutler comes to the Washington Redskins, does he push us over the top and take us to the Super Bowl? And I would guess that my answer is the same as yours…

Thanks again Dan and Vinny for practicing a little thing normal people like to call ‘consistency’. It’s nice to have the team name thrown around in every football move there is, but don’t find your way onto Chris Mortensen’s short-list.

To the Chicago Bears: Your chances of making the Super Bowl do not drastically increase with the addition of Jay Cutler. However, it is a definite upgrade from Kyle Orton.

And to the Denver Broncos: You made out pretty well. You have some decent draft picks that you can use to assess your struggling defense and perhaps find a quarterback that Josh McDaniels can call his guy.

Be social…

2009 NFL Mock Draft – Middle Of The Pack Selections

After posting my top-ten picks (here) and taking a little time to research, I’m ready to throw out my predictions for picks 11 thru 20. Check it out…

11.) Buffalo Bills – Brian Cushing, OLB, USC : The Bills need some help getting to the quarterback and they happen to have a pretty weak linebacker crew as well, Cushing fits well at number 11. Cushing performed well in the Combine and he can help with the Bills’ poor rushing defense too(Buffalo allowed 121 rushing-yards-per-game in ’08).

12.) Denver Broncos – B.J. Raji, DT, BC : Denver could do a lot of things with this pick, which really makes me think that they may do some draft day trading. However, assuming they keep the #12, you can’t pass up on Raji at this point. I could also see them taking a safety at this position but Sean Smith is a little bit of a reach and Malcolm Jenkins isn’t necessarily a safety just yet.

13.) Washington Redskins – Rey Maualuga, OLB, USC : The Redskins have a number of positions that need to be taken care of, but due to the signing of Derrick Dockery to help the offensive-line and Albert Haynesworth to help the defensive-line, I think they go with the next position of need. Maualuga can rush the quarterback and he can play some pass-defense as well. I would love for the Skins’ to take a tackle at this point but Andre Smith is a HUGE risk and the departure of Marcus Washington makes for a serious need at linebacker. But then again, it’s the Redskins. Dan Snyder could select Josh Freeman and I wouldn’t be surprised.

14.) New Orleans Saints – Malcolm Jenkins, CB/S, Ohio State : Jenkins didn’t have that impressive of a Combine but I think that just makes him a safety, worst case scenario. The Saints obviously need secondary help and Jenkins may be able to play both safety and corner. Vontae Davis is a corner that had a better Combine performance so don’t be surprised if Davis is taken here instead. However, I believe that Jenkins being able to play two potential positions and being a part of a title-contending Buckeyes team gives him an upper hand.

15.) Houston Texans – Clay Matthews, OLB, USC : Houston has a few holes to fill, but they’re going to be a good team despite the fact. They could go with Vontae Davis but I think an outside linebacker to help DeMeco Ryans is a HUGE need for them. A number 15 selection may seem a little high for Matthews but he’s the best available OLB at this point. And that’s not a cut on Matthews, he’s a great player and should be just fine in the NFL.

16.) San Diego Chargers – Eben Britton, OT, Arizona : If LT had left San Diego then there would be no question that I put Knowshon Moreno at this spot. But LT is back, Charger fans should be pleased, and they’ll take an offensive-lineman at number 16. Andre Smith has talent but has admitted that he’s out of shape, which is not worth it to me. Why not take a VERY talented Britton? He may be playing right tackle but I wouldn’t be complaining about that. If Oher slips this far, they may prefer Oher due to his familiarity with the right side. I would opt for Britton regardless.

17.) New York Jets – Chris Wells, RB, Ohio State : I want to say Mark Sanchez really bad at this spot because I think he makes a splash in the Big Apple, but I think Tannenbaum (GM) wants to give Kellen Clemens a real shot. Tannenbaum drafted Clemens and he has yet to see what he can do in a fair trial season. I also think the Jets could use a receiver but rumors have it that they may sign Torry Holt and they could easily pick up Robiskie or Iglesias in the second round. With that being said, Thomas Jones isn’t getting any younger and Beanie Wells is the best running back in the Draft. Wells is a perfect dose of speed and power and he should be a fan favorite in New York.

18.) Chicago Bears – William Beatty, OT, Connecticut : The Bears could use a wide receiver but taking Heyward-Bey or Hakeem Nicks is too much of a reach at 18. John Tait has retired and John St. Clair continues to remain a free-agent. Andre Smith is still waiting in the Green Room but his character is too large an issue. The Bears should take the next best offensive-tackle, William Beatty, in order to fill an immediate need. They may need some depth at defensive-end but this is a little too high for Larry English and incredibly too high for Michael Johnson.

19.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Mark Sanchez, QB, USC : I like Knowshon Moreno at this point but the Bucs just signed Derrick Ward. New coach and a relatively new general manager means that the team still needs their franchise quarterback. Why not bring Sanchez from sunny Cali to sunny Florida? Sanchez is possibly the best remaining QB and the Bucs cannot rely on Luke McCown as the future. So what happens when Gruden leaves? The team will continue to have a shelf of quarterbacks.

20.) Detroit Lions – Andre Smith, OT, Alabama : This is even too high for Andre Smith, in my opinion, but if he’s available at #20 and your team is desperate for an offensive-tackle, it’s worth a shot. Hopefully by April this guy can get his act together, because he really does have the tools to succeed in the league. Detroit needs a tackle so bad that they should seriously contemplate taking Jason Smith with the first overall pick and then selecting whatever quarterback is left at this spot, whether it be Stafford, Sanchez, Freeman, etc. Anyway, given my current Mock, I have them taking a huge offensive-tackle to help the newly drafted Matt Stafford.

Stay tuned for picks 21-32 to finish up the first round of my 2009 NFL Mock Draft. Changes will come as we get closer to April. Please leave me a comment or email me at: shaeblog@gmail.com

Busy Monday In NFL Free Agency: Skins Cut Taylor, Ward Signs With Bucs

Making top news today was T.J. Houshmandzadeh signing with the Seattle Seahawks, a move that didn’t surprise too many. But there were a couple other moves made on this busy Monday that deserve a little buzz.

The Tampa Buccaneers continued to stay active in the market when they signed former-Giant, Derrick Ward, to a multi-year deal. Ward rushed for just over 1,000 yards last season and decided to test the free-agent market instead of return to the Giants’ crowded backfield. Tampa Bay released veteran running back Warrick Dunn last week but Ward will still compete against the oft-injured Cadillac Williams and fantasy-stud Ernest Graham.

And rounding out the day, the Redskins cut All-Pro defensive end Jason Taylor. As a Redskins loyalist, I would have personally liked to have seen Jason Taylor have one full injury-free season, especially with Haynesworth in the middle, but it wasn’t meant to be. Taylor was set to make too much money next season and he just couldn’t get it done in his first year (a.k.a ‘his audition’). The bottom line is that he didn’t want to play football. Taylor was released by the team because he refused to partake in the team’s offseason workouts. Taylor’s agent told reporters that he was seperated from his family for basically a whole year and said that Taylor just wanted to be with his kids. You can’t get on the guy for wanting to be with his family but obviously he is no longer committed to playing football. He will probably be picked up pretty quick but I don’t think it will be by a team near his home in Florida – as he would like.

Instead of going to another team, Taylor should just retire to be with his family for a while and then fire up the acting career.